Re: >>>>> RIT TIGERS 2013-2014 - Rocking The Ritter One Last Time <<<<<
Re: >>>>> RIT TIGERS 2013-2014 - Rocking The Ritter One Last Time <<<<<
As a long time ECAC fan and observer, I always figured that Quinnipiac's real objective was Hockey East when they first joined the ECAC. And ECAC purists (like me) did not like QU joining the ECAC (as a replacement for Vermont) because QU doesn't really fit the profile of Ivy or the old time academically-oriented small college that make the ECAC unique and special. At the time, I believe that most ECAC fans and coaches would have preferred Holy Cross over QPac -- but that didn't work out because HC was unable to commit to a D-1 women's program which was a condition for entry into the ECAC.
That said, I think both the ECAC and Quinnipiac have to be very happy with how things have worked out. QU are more than pulling their weight in terms of giving the ECAC street cred with recruits and journalists. My sense is that their spending has spurred other ECAC schools, like Union and Yale, to start putting more emphasis on the sport. The ECAC has the best interconference record for the first time in ages. It also might have been a much tougher road for QU to hoe trying to get competitive had they been able to go straight to HEA. Furthermore, like all of the non-Ivy schools in the ECAC, they have to like seeing Harvard, Cornell, Yale and Dartmouth showing up on their schedule. My guess is that they are now pretty happy where they are and I would guess the ECAC is pretty happy to have them.
There was never any question in my mind that Connecticut, as the last remaining New England Land Grant University, would end up in Hockey East sooner or later. And, no conference in any sport on earth would ever turn down having Notre Dame's brand in their league -- So there was never much likelihood that RPI or QU were going to end up with even a chance to go to Hockey East. RPI has a long DIII and D-1 sports history with SLU, Clarkson and Union (in what is now the Liberty League) across almost every sport -- so while people have talked about a possible RPI move to Hockey East, I doubt that it would ever happen even if a spot opened up -- as RPI as a school looks a lot more like its non-Ivy New York State ECAC brethren than it looks like a BU or BC or Maine.
Which leaves you with one slim hope. Merrimack or even less likely, Providence. These schools are small and look nothing like the other Hockey East schools ( other than Catholic affiliation they share with BC and ND. The price to be competitive in Hockey East might one day shake Merrimack out of the tree. Then perhaps a Hockey East slot opens up -- which might be suitable for an RIT or, in what I now consider the unlikely event of an RPI or QU springing to Hockey East, then perhaps an ECAC slot opens up. Given RIT's Liberty League DIII affiliation, I'm sure that would help. I don't know where the Ivies would come down on RIT vs. say Holy Cross. Maybe Hockey East would pass over RIT and try to find a good weekend travel partner for Notre Dame (like Miami).
If the Ivies were to break away from the ECAC, which I believe they would be ill-advised to do, then I think you would see the ECAC go to 8-10 teams with RIT, Holy Cross at the head of the pack. I also wouldn't completely discount the possibility of a big SUNY school pushing up to D1 or (I hope this never happens -but it gets tossed around occassionally) schools like SLU or Union throwing in the towel on the cost of playing at the D-1 level and the ECAC falling apart. But right now the ECAC looks like the most stable game in town and its on the way up. Puck drops in one hour. For my money, RIT has overperformed in the short history of the SLU-RIT series so I'm nervous notwithstanding the team records.
